Short Summary

Following the successful conclusion of the negotiations for Britain's entry into the European Common Market, the terms for the entry of the other three candidate countries, Denmark, Norway and Eire, are coming to the fore of Common Market debate.

Description

Following the successful conclusion of the negotiations for Britain's entry into the European Common Market, the terms for the entry of the other three candidate countries, Denmark, Norway and Eire, are coming to the fore of Common Market debate.

The negotiations of Denmark, Norway and Eire ran concurrently with those of Britain, but independently. Now, final agreement is approaching. Last Monday (12 July) Denmark settled the final outstanding problem - of fisheries - but she was only interested in special treatment for Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The other countries face worse problems - Norway and Ireland depend greatly on their fishing industries, and whereas Danish farming is quite a match for the competition of the Common Market, the same is not the case for Norway and Ireland.

This film shows the problems of these countries in their applications, and the sensitive areas in which the final entry terms will decide whether or not they join.

SYNOPSIS: The negotiations for Britain's entry into the European Common Market have been concluded. Denmark Norway and Eire are next in line to have their applications analysed, reviewed and costed. The British negotiators were pleased with the terms they gained at Brussels, though they face opposition in Britain. The three remaining candidate countries have their own problems, especially cattle farmers, all with much to lose.

Many of Eire's farmers fall into the category of the small inefficient farms condemned in the Mansholt plan for European agriculture. Too many people farming too much land, and not enough cattle to employ the labour of the men available.

But Eire's application is not all problems. Eire's sheep industry is strong, and Irish wool has a good reputation. These farmers look forward to the Common Market - and some problems too have been overcome. Eire's unemployment problem occupied the negotiators in Brussels this week, especially in the northern assembly industry. But a suitable transition period has been agreed.

In Denmark, the negotiators are confident. Danish dairy farming is feared throughout Europe - it's modern, efficient and has a high rate of production. And on Monday, Denmark and the Common Market settled the major issues in the negotiations. The one remaining real problem for Denmark, as for Eire and Norway, and, Britain too, is the Common Market's fisheries policy. But Denmark is only interested in special treatment for its territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. As for her food industry, Denmark is so confident that her negotiators have said they would prefer no transition period at all before tariff barriers are reduced for her food.

Norway, and the greatest problem of all is fishing. The Common Market could not settle this problem with Britain, and has postponed settlement of it until the autumn. But Norway's fishermen demand early settlement. Many of them fish alone, or in small groups, based on their villages along the coast. The catches are canned in local canning factories - but if Europe's fishermen move in on Norway's coastline, their fishermen will lose much business. All the candidate countries fear this.